Princess Irina Yusupov 1925

This portrait of Princess Irina Yusupov was made with pastel on paper by Zinaida Serebriakova, probably in Paris. The image is built up of soft, feathery strokes, gentle hues of lilac, blue and gold with delicate outlines. I can imagine Serebriakova gently layering the pastels to construct the Princess’s features with soft shadows and nuanced tones. Her approach feels intuitive, carefully observing light and form and, just as carefully, laying down each mark, and then another, and then another. I’m thinking about her hand, moving across the paper, maybe stepping back, then stepping up close again... I love how these marks define her form, but also create a gentle softness. It's in the contrast between the defined and the indefinite that the painting really takes shape. Painters are always in conversation with one another, so I wonder if she was looking at other portraitists, like Sargent or Whistler. I feel like painting is, above all, about mark making, a kind of embodied expression, and how these marks can hold so much ambiguity and intention all at once.